I know traveling light isn’t for everyone but here are 10 reasons to consider lightening your load a little!

(My travel items for our 6 week trip through Italy. I know...I know...extreme. But we were walking so I truly learned the value of traveling light!)

1. No waiting at baggage claim.

When I arrive from a flight I’m usually tired. Just about the last thing I want to do is wait for my suitcases at baggage claim and be jostled by all of the other tired people who are doing the same. I never manage to select the correct spot at the edge of the carousel and I inevitably see my suitcase on the far side with no way to get through the sea of people. AGH!!! Now, whenever possible, I retrieve my carryon from the overhead compartment, grab my personal item, and head for the door!!

2. No baggage fees.

Over the last several years we have seen almost all major airlines begin charging per bag for any checked luggage. If you are a traveller with lots of luggage, that can add a substantial amount to the price of your ticket. If it's absolutely necessary, as it sometimes is especially in winter travel, then absolutely bring that suitcase! However, lightening the load in your suitcase when possible can also lighten the load on your wallet when paying for the trip. Besides, I’d rather spend that money on something special during the trip!

3. Easy to transport.

Not having a huge suitcase to lug around means you dont have a heavy suitcase to lug around! Need I say more? My idea for the beginning and end to a great vacation does not in any way involve schlepping an overpacked piece of luggage. Whether its down airport escalators or out of the trunk of the car, large suitcases are unwieldy and sometimes hard to handle. Even my suitcase with wheels that allows it to roll in any direction seems to have moments that make it difficult to manage.

4. Less likely to bring items you won't use!

Boy have I been guilty of this in the past. I’ve carried more shoes around the world that have never seen the light of day than you can possibly imagine. Take a bit of time to make a packing list that will keep you on track to travel as lightly as possible. My rule of thumb is that if I’m not going to wear it or use it at least twice on the trip it doesn’t get to go. And I long ago gave up on “just in case” packing. Just in case just never seems to happen!

5. No lost luggage. 

My very first overseas trip was to visit a friend in Salzburg, Austria. Now, that was a long time ago, back in the days when 2 carryons were not unheard of. It was during the Christmas holiday and I thought it would be magical. That was until my huge American Tourister suitcase ended up in a closet in the Vienna airport for three days. I was a college student and didn’t have a lot of extra cash but I had no clothes with me and I ended up having to buy a couple of items and borrow a couple as well. If I had maximized my carry on usage, I probably could have managed my trip without that bulky suitcase — and prevented wasting 3 days going back and forth to the airport for updates on my luggage. (No cell phones to speak of back then either.)

6. Check in is easy!

I love breezing into the airport and up to the self serve kiosk for check in and I’m grateful not to be standing in line waiting to get to the counter to check my bag. I can check in and have my boarding pass in about 5 minutes - no  frustration required!

7. More room for souvenirs.

I’m not a big collector of souvenirs, but I have friends who purposely travel light so they have room to bring something special back from their trip. Not a bad idea!!

8. You are in control of your belongings at all times.

I always get an unsettled feeling when I open my luggage after a trip to discover one of those cards from security saying that your bag has been searched. I absolutely hate it. I just don’t like the idea of someone rummaging through my personal belongings when I’m not there. I’m very grateful that luggage is searched and I commend the job they do - I know it’s not easy. I just want to avoid it if at all possible. At the very least, I want to be present when my things are searched and with carryon luggage you accomplish exactly that.

9. Shows you just how little you truly need.

Want and need are two very different animals and after years of travel my interpretation looks something like this — I need to take less with me because I don't want to carry it around! I used to travel with a huge suitcase and a carryon and a personal item and…well, you get the idea. Now I almost take it as a challenge to see if a carryon is all i need. Of course there are times when that’s not possible. In a few weeks I’ll be headed to Yellowstone and will need to check a bag with my camping gear but rest assured it will be light!!

10. Better for the environment.

Flying your heavy suitcases around the world costs money and uses fossil fuels. Lightening the load a bit might not seem like it will make a difference but imagine if every passenger on every plane lightened their load by 10 pounds? I leave it to you to look up cost savings but the fact of the matter is a lighter plane burns less fuel and that’s good for the environment! Let’s face it, we’re not going to give up flying anytime soon.

This is not to say that people who travel with luggage are somehow doing it wrong! I travel frequently with checked luggage but as I travel more and more I learn to manage with less and less. Give it a go sometime!  How much do you really need to take to the beach?